Current weather

McFadden involved in scuffle

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden was handcuffed by police and then released without charges after being involved in a "pretty rowdy scene" at a piano bar early Thursday.

Arkansas' All-American running back and at least four others were at the downtown bar, called Ernie Biggs, when a disturbance broke out shortly after midnight, police Lt. Terry Hastings said. A bouncer was hit in the face as he was trying to get the group to leave, Hastings said.

"There was a whole bunch of people there," Hastings said. "They were inside and it spilled out into the street."

Outside, McFadden was handcuffed by a police officer "because he was agitated and was provoking aggressive behavior inciting the incident," according to the police report.

"We handcuffed him for a few minutes because he was rowdy," Hastings said.

McFadden, who was the only person handcuffed, was released after he calmed down. Hastings said it was routine procedure to handcuff a person to gain control of a situation.

McFadden's mother, Mini Muhammad, said her son was trying to protect his younger brother, Daryl.

"He wasn't the one that was fighting. It was his little brother - someone had jumped on him," Muhammad said. "He was agitated because his brother had a bloody nose.

"Darren was not fighting - please make that be known," she added.

Hastings said bar employee Brant Hankins was advised that he could pursue charges against the person who hit him. The police report classified the incident as misdemeanor battery.

McFadden, 20, was to be honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual banquet Thursday night.

Ernie Biggs is a private club that serves alcohol but not food. State law does not allow a private club to admit anyone under 21 if the business does not serve food.

Volunteers retain linemen

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee offensive linemen Anthony Parker and Ramon Foster said Thursday they will return to play their senior season.

Parker and Foster were members of the Volunteers offensive line that led the nation in fewest sacks allowed last season, giving up four sacks all year.

"All five of us are coming back," Parker said of the linemen. "With as well as we did this year, a whole other offseason together and fall camp and we could only get so much more better."

The two guards' announcement came a day after All-SEC linebacker Jerod Mayo announced he would forgo his final season to enter the NFL draft.

Tailback Arian Foster and punter Britton Colquitt also were considering skipping their senior season, but had not announced their decisions by Thursday.

Bennett declares for draft

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt receiver Earl Bennett announced Thursday he will pass up a final year of eligibility and make himself available for the NFL draft.

Bennett leaves as the SEC's all-time leading receiver.

"If I came back, there was always a risk that I could get injured," Bennett said. "There were a lot of pluses and a lot of minuses. I couldn't go wrong with my decision whether I came back or whether I left."

LSU prepared to hike prices

BATON ROUGE, La. - Three days after winning the national title, LSU announced a plan to raise the price of football tickets by $5 per game, plus higher costs for season ticket holders.

The athletic department said in a press release that the higher prices and higher season ticket fees are needed to pay for increased operating expenses and to build a new hall for the marching band.

The price hikes would not affect student tickets. However, season ticket holders who this year paid fees toward LSU's so-called "Tradition Fund" would also face higher prices beginning this year, and those costs would steadily rise through 2010.

Athletic director Skip Bertman said LSU would still be charging its season ticket holders smaller fees than do rivals Florida and Alabama.

The proposal for the changes will go to the LSU Board of Supervisors at its meeting on Jan. 17.

Season ticket order forms are mailed out in February.

Half the $5 ticket price increase will raise about $1.5 million for construction of a new hall for the band, the release said.

The rest of the new cash will go toward adjusting coaches' salaries for inflation and to address increases in the cost of travel and utilities. The money would also "continue to address facilities needs in all sports," the release said.